Rejoice! Next week is London Wine Week. Isn’t life great?

For the third year running, Londoners are invited to partake in what must be one of the most important weeks of the year of any wine-loving individual.

From 23-29 May 2016, the festival hub will be once again at the iconic Devonshire Square in the heart of the City, just a few minutes walk from Liverpool Street station. Collect your wristbands here at The London Wine Week Nyetimber Hub and have a flight of English sparkling wine on the terrace for just £5, before exploring a maze of delicious pop-ups on the estate. The Wines of Portugal Discovery Bar will provide a Mediterranean feel and Vins de Provence Le Beach Bar is sure transport you to the South of France for a few hours (at least in spirit!) while sipping a crisp rosé. Make sure you have an aperitif at the The DrinkUp.London Vermouth Bar, where there will be a full menu of delicious lower ABV vermouth aperitifs.

Devonshire Square will also play host to this year’s stand-out London Wine Week Banquets, a series of wine tasting dinners in partnership with Disappearing Dining Club, new for 2016.

The London Wine Week Banquets are a new type of wine tasting with five fantastic candel-lit banquets held in partnership with the wonderful Disappearing Dining Club (see our article about them). Taking place in the beautiful Devonshire Square suite these 50 person feasts will each showcase a different wine with specially created food menus to match… From celebrated chateau Trimbach to Italian bubbles from Ferrari there’s no better way to see in the bank holiday weekend.

There are five wine banquets to choose from and tickets range from £50-£65 and include all your drinks and a four course feast. From personal experience I can only say that these guys know how to throw a dinner party!

But this is, of course, not all, as there are 125 venues across the capital taking part, with wine flights, perfectly paired menus, special deals on corkage and a variety of events. A highlight of the week promises to be London’s biggest self-guided wine tasting – the Wine Tours. Discover new grapes, varieties and vintages in the comfort of London’s best bars and restaurants, with wine flights for just £5.

Beyond Devonshire Square, discover Franciacorta, fine sparkling wines and Italy’s best-kept secret, at their pop-up at Andaz London Liverpool Street (this is a beautiful place!), or get a taste of Aldi’s famous wine offering at their pop-up wine tasting bar in BOXPARK Shoreditch, where you can sample and learn about more than 20 delicious wines from around the world.

There’ll be a full week of masterclasses, supper clubs, pop-ups, parties, tastings and perfectly paired winemaker dinners. A series of events hosted by Loire Valley Wines, include a rooftop BBQ at Queen of Hoxton, and there’ll be a “Let’s Get Fizzical” a sparkling wine tasting with industry legends Three Wine Men. One thing is for sure: there’s an event for everyone, amateur to expert.

Flights and glasses at the Devonshire Square pop-ups will be available from just £5 for festival wristband wearers.

London Wine Week wristbands cost £10 from http://www.londonwineweek.com and allow wristband wearers access to all the fun of the festival all week.

http://www.londonwineweek.com

LWW x Disappearing Dining Club: The Banquets

LWW x Disappearing Dining Club: Alsace Twilight Banquet

Thu 26 May, 7.30pm. Devonshire Square, EC2M 4AE. £60.

Be transported to the medieval town of Ribeauville, home of legendary Alsace producer Maison Trimbach. The lightest of our menus – we’re drawing on light, lemony flavours to take you to the sun-warmed vineyards of Alsace.

https://drinkup.london/wineweek/events/9034/alsatian-banquet-with-maison-trimbach/

LWW x Disappearing Dining Club: Sparkling Twilight Banquet

Fri 27 May, 7.30pm. Devonshire Square, EC2M 4AE. £65.

Join us for a sparkling Italian evening with Ferrari – no, not that Ferrari, but one equally au fait to the art of Italian living. Guillo Ferrari’s wines are inspired by Champagne – but with Italian panache – and so this menu takes a decadent twist, whilst still being light and moreish,  ideal for Friday night feasting.

https://drinkup.london/wineweek/events/9037/sparkling-italian-banquet-with-ferrari/

LWW x Disappearing Dining Club: Argentinian Long Lunch and Argentinian Twilight Banquet

Sat 28 May, 1pm & 7.30pm. Devonshire Square, EC2M 4AE. Lunch £50, Dinner £65.

All the wines for this feast have been sourced from the famed winery – Trapiche – renowned for their old world styles of big, rich wines. This banquet will transport you to the Trapiche winery, nestled amongst olive groves and vineyards in the heart of Argentina’s wine capital Mendoza, and will draw on the big flavours of Argentinian food.

https://drinkup.london/wineweek/events/9040/argentinian-banquet-dinner-with-traipiche/

LWW X Disappearing Dining Club: Sicilian Long Lunch

Sun 29 May, 1pm.  Devonshire Square, EC2M 4AE. £50.

This menu is designed to transport you to the very west corner of Sicily, where Planeta winery is established as one of the most dynamic wineries in the country – imagine yourself on the sun drenched terrace as you indulge in some delicious Italian wines and food.

https://drinkup.london/wineweek/events/9041/sicilian-banquet-with-planeta-winery/